Tony’s Tavern

Tony’s Tavern is the one bar that stands out in my memory, after visiting a handful during my one weekend in Athens. While the whole weekend was somewhat of a blur, I do remember the divey atmosphere of Tony’s Tavern and the fact that there was ample standing room unlike other bars in the area.
I also remember the warm «Hot Nuts» shots, which were different but delicious. I believe they consisted of hot coffee and hazelnut liqueur. They were under $ 2. If you’re in Athens and are looking for a bar that stands out from the rest, Tony’s Tavern is a good choice.

This was my absolute favorite dive bar in college and the first place I always stop back to when visiting! The hot nuts are delicious, the drinks are cheap and the whole place has a fun, authentic feel to it. Definitely check this out.

The tall clean shaven male bartender (not the guy with the tats and beard) was less than nice. Too bad. He will get bad karma from Mary Johnson. I wonder if he even knows who she was?

Beers cold and carefully poured (which matters when you drink Guinness. Local beers on tap and a hometown dive bar feel.

The music in Tony’s is always good. Darts is free and fun. The prices are great, even for an Ohio town with already cheap drinks. The bartenders and townies are fun and amiable. The house specialty, «Hot Nuts» (hot coffee with a hazelnut liqueur), are delicious and dirt cheap. In the winter, when it’s dead quiet in Athens, Tony’s is a haven. It can be a little crowded around graduation, with seniors flooding in to say goodbye, and also Homecoming (same reasons), but I will always have a special place in my heart for this quaint little dive.
Also, O’Betty’s and Souvlaki’s are right next door. How clutch is that?

Without a doubt my favorite watering hole in Athens. It’s a great place to watch a game have a drink, BS with friends or make new friends. Older crowd means more laid back, and less rough housing.

Good bar, good people. Mostly an older crowd, tends to be school employees and townies. You have to try the «Hot Nut» it’s one of the must have drinks of Athens.

Great place to hide from all the undergrads. You’ll get occasional obnoxious groups but they usually do a Hot Nut and leave. Have never had a bad time here and it has a good balance between townie townies, less crazy townies, and older students.

I used to always end up here in my early Athens days. Not so much now but still worth a stop in. Usually a nice chill environment to have a beer or two.

The only place I care to do serious drinking in town.

Tony’s is unlike the other bars in Athens and that’s what makes it special. It actually feels like a real bar and not some wanna be dance club. They’ve got pool and darts and even a pinball machine. It’s not too loud and you can actually have a conversation with the person next to you. It’s crowd a mix of students and townies. I always end of getting at least one hot nut whenever I visit Tony’s and it always seems to hit the spot.

Tony’s is a home away from home. Never really got into it until after I moved away, but now, we try to say hi to Tony every time we visit Athens. It’s the characters that make the experience, and Tony is the Best!!!
Try the hot nuts, or several.
All kinds can come to this watering hole and be perfectly comfortable.

You’ve not known the warm joy of an early evening buzz until you’ve been in Tony’s on a Friday afternoon watching the sun sink in the sky, listening to Tony tell terrible jokes as he serves god-​awful free snacks, and chatting with friendly townies. It is pure contentment. If you’re not around on those magic Fridays, no matter. Tony’s is a great place with tasty beer on tap, friendly patrons and good prices. Fair warning: It often gets overrun by students after about 9 p.m. Until then, it is a sublime watering hole.

Quite simply my favorite place to drink on Earth. The things I’ve seen (and done) within these four walls! This cozy joint was always the last bar of the night for my gang of college buddies and quite obviously many others as well. Once you made it to Tony’s, you stay there until they turn on the lights and kick your ass out! Today, better than 15 years since my first visit to Tony’s, I still see some of the same faces here. Sure, the stacks of mix cassette tapes have long since been replaced by an iTunes-​enabled PC, the Columbus Nut Brown and it’s beautiful conical Pilsener glasses replaced by Michelob and plastic vessels, but all the charm is still there. Thank God!

As a «typical» OU student, Tony’s isn’t the bar that pops into my head as the first place I want to go when uptown. However, Tony’s is always a great change of pace if you want to avoid how overcrowded other bars can get on a Friday or Saturday night.
As others have said, Hot Nuts are a must-​have. Even you don’t stay long, just pop in for a Nut. Disclaimer: Never have them on a hot or moderately warm day, it just doesn’t work out well.
The fact that Tony’s has darts adds a ton of value to the experience. Many bars lack any sort of staple activity to do while there. Being able to kick back, split a Killian’s pitcher (for $ 5.50), and play darts with friends really makes Tony’s stick out as a great place to hang out and avoid the ultra-​crowded, sticky floor-​scene of some of the other bars.

two words: HOT NUTS!

Tonys is a great bar for locals and grad students and in my top 3 bars in town. They have the best signature shot in town (hot nut) but don’t expect to be served your nut too fast on weekends. The bar is set up in an inconvenient manner for service or tending bar. On most weeknights its hard to tell where it would be best to approach the bar for service since the serving area is in most cases blocked completely by chairs and people packed front to back. They usually have 2 bartenders that serve regulars heavily and younger folks/​newbies.
The booths are great for groups of around 6, bathrooms are much improved since the renovations over the winter, and a good space for smoking outside.

Tony’s has darts, REAL darts; ridiculous graffiti, an easily accessed outdoor smoking section and a fun crowd. It’s one of those bars that is special in its mediocrity. There’s nothing amazing about it, but you don’t want to leave.
The Hot Nut shot, as others have mentioned, is delicious and triggers near-​instant second wind.

One of the best bars in town. It has a quaint, small-​town vibe, but is great. After a few visits, the owners/​workers usually know you — which is nice, considering the other bars in town don’t seem personal. Great for a laid, back evening. Ladies Night on Thursday. Killian’s pitchers are only $ 5. Also, make sure to have a «HOT NUT» shot before you leave. This incredible, coffee/​espresso shot will get you through the evening.

God, I miss good cheap bars.
This was the place where we would start weekday evenings and end weekend nights. Monday’s were always pitchers of Killian’s Red — I think it was $ 5. We’d spend hours drinking cheap beer and playing darts.
On the weekends, it was the place to stop for a «Hot Nut» — a favorite of Ohio University students — just before the 2 AM closing. Northing more than a shot of Frangelico and coffee, but it certainly got you home on those cold, winter, Ohio nights when your blood has been dangerously thinned by hour upon hour of beer and booze.
It’s been a few years since I’ve been back to Athens, but I hope that Tony’s will be there forever.